The New Mexico Veterans’
Cemetery Initiative:
State of New Mexico
JOHN A. SANCHEZ
Providing an Honorable Resting
Place Close to Home
Lieutenant Governor
Prepared for publication by the NLGA, © National Lieutenant Governors Association 2014-2015
From the colonial days, when native citizens banded together to defend their communities
against European settlers, to the modern day war on terror, New Mexico’s sons and daughters
have faithfully responded when our territory, state, and nation have been threatened by enemies
at home and abroad. Today, New Mexico is home to more than 172,500 veterans who have
served in the United States Armed Forces, and, as a state, we are firmly committed to supporting
them and their families during their post-military lives.
While New Mexico’s veterans are entitled to various federal and state veterans’ benefits during
and after their military career, our administration discovered that few options exist for families of
deceased veterans when the time comes to select a proper burial place. Although New Mexico is
the fifth largest state in the nation at 121,000 square miles, there are only two in-state veterans’
cemeteries available for families to bury deceased veterans, their eligible spouses, and children.
Prior efforts to establish additional national cemeteries in New Mexico have failed due to a strict
mandate by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requiring that a minimum of 100,000
veterans live within a 75-mile radius of any proposed site. Approximately 131,000 of our state’s
veterans live more than 75 miles from our existing national cemeteries in Santa Fe and Ft.
Bayard. As a result, many families are compelled to make the difficult decision to either bury
their loved one(s) several hours from home, or bury them nearby in a public or private cemetery.
Driven by the conviction that every veteran deserves to be buried in a veterans’ cemetery, and
that families should not have to make this difficult choice, our administration announced, in July
2013, the development of the New Mexico “Veterans’ Cemetery Initiative.”
The “Veterans’ Cemetery Initiative” is a statewide strategic plan to establish three or four rural
veterans’ cemeteries across New Mexico, using federal grant money available through the VA
Veterans Cemetery Grants Program. The program was established in 1978 to help states,
territories, and federally recognized tribal governments construct small, local veterans’
cemeteries. If approved, a project can receive up to 100 percent of the development costs.
Cemeteries established under the VA Veterans Cemetery Grants Program must conform to
specific standards and guidelines, and can only be operated for the burial of service members
who die on active duty, veterans, eligible spouses, and dependent children. In order to
participate, a state must provide ten percent of the matching development costs and certify that
the proposed site is easily accessible and suitable for burials for a 20-50 year period.
After conducting multiple Town Hall meetings across New Mexico and securing $600,000 from
the Legislature in required matching funds, our administration announced four proposed
locations in April 2014. The state subsequently submitted grant applications to the VA to plan,
design, and construct four veterans’ cemeteries in Angel Fire, Carlsbad, Fort Stanton, and
Gallup, New Mexico. These four sites represent areas of New Mexico with a large, underserved
veteran population based on the 2010 U.S. Census.
In October 2014, the state received approval from the VA for construction of a new veterans’
cemetery in Gallup. The Gallup location will be accessible to more than 25,000 veterans and
eligible family members residing in Northwestern New Mexico. The application was one of just
17 projects approved for funding by the VA in FY 2015.
Pursuant to the VA Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, the cemetery will be built in accordance
with VA National Cemetery Standards. Upon completion, the administration, operation, and
maintenance of the site will be the sole responsibility of the New Mexico Department of
Veterans’ Services. For each burial, the VA will reimburse the state $700 to be used for
maintenance and operational costs.
This year, New Mexico will resubmit the applications for Angel Fire, Carlsbad, and Fort Stanton.
Upon completion of these initial cemeteries, the state also plans to submit applications for
additional cemeteries in other rural and tribal areas. As New Mexico welcomes home a new
generation of veterans who have served since the First Gulf War, and as we begin to rapidly lose
those who served before them, the need for these rural veterans’ cemeteries is more urgent than
ever. Our soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, and their families deserve an honorable final resting
place close to home and befitting their sacrifice, and we will continue our efforts to
accommodate their present and future burial needs.
To date, the VA has awarded more than $617 million in grants to help establish, expand,
improve, operate, and maintain 95 veterans’ cemeteries in 47 states and territories. For more
information on the VA’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, please visit
http://www.cem.va.gov/grants/index.asp.
John Sanchez has served as Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico since January 2011. You can follow him on Twitter
at @LtGovSanchez and find him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnsanchezfan.